Inside pipe-clamp.



No. www3. Patnted May I5, I90IJ.

H. I. HUBB.

INSIDE PIPE CLAMP.

fAppncation filed Feb. 12, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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rvrrien States rice.

HENRY I. CIIUBB, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNG. RILEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INSIDE PlPEn-CLNIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part f LetterS Patent N0. 649,813, dated May 15,1900.

Application filed February 12, 1900. Serial No. 4,991. (No model.)

To @ZZ wtont it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY I. CHUBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Michigan City, in the county ot La Porte and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Inside Pipe-Clamp, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to pipe-clamps in general, and more particularlyto that class Io of inside pipe-clamps in which the clamp is inserted inthe pipe and is then expanded to frictionally engage the inner face ofthe pipe, the object of the invention being to provide a constructionwhich while being adapted for I5 clamping pipes and tubes of all kindswillbe particularly useful and convenient for removing air-brakepistons, such as are commonly used in railway equipment.

A further object of the invention is to pro- 2o vide means for holdingthe cylinder-head of an air-brake from being thrown violently outwardagainst the operator, under the infinen ce of the piston-spring, whenthe head isloosened to remove the piston for cleansing or repair.

2 5 In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and inwhich similar numerals of reference designate like and correspondingparts in the several views, Figure 1 is alongitudinal section oi aportion of a pipe and '3o showingin'elevation the position ofthe clampwhen first introduced and prior to its engagement with the pipe. Fig. 2is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the position ofthe clamp when itis reversed and prior to its engage- Inent. Fig. 3 is an enlarged viewsimilar to Figs. 1 and 2 and showing the positions of the parts when theclamp is engaged with the pipe or tube. Fig. et is a'view partially insection and partially in elevation and showing 4o the engagement of thetool with the tubular stem of the piston of an air-brake and showingalso a portion of the piston-cylinder and illustrating the position ofthe cylinder-head upon the stem of the piston when disengaged from thecylinder. Fig. 5 is an end View of a tube with the clamp engagedtherewith. Fig. 6 is a central section of the rollers of the clamp. Fig.7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 3 and showing parts in elevation. 5oReferring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and3, 10 represents a tube or pipe with which the clamp is to he engaged.The clamp consists of a threaded stem 11, one end of which is curvedupwardly and forwardly and terminates in a truncated triangular head 12,the outer face of which lies parallel with the axis of the stein 11,while its inner face lies at an angle thereto to form a wedge. Thiswedgeshaped head 12 operates in conjunction with a roller, with respectto which it is movable, so that the roller will travel along itsinclined face, and thus move with it-s outermost pointtoward and awayfrom the opposite face of the head. This wedging roller, as shown at 13,is slidably and rotatably mounted in a carrier, whichconsists of twosubstantially-triangular plates 14,11avin g preferably-curvilinear basesand which bases are mutually connected by a web 15, extending at rightangles thereto. The narrowed 7o extremities of the plates 141 aredisposed to lie on opposite sides ot' the head 12 and are pivotallyconnected therewith by means of a common pivot-pin 1 G, passed throughthe head and the plates. This carrier is therefore at liberty to swingtoward and away from the stem l1.

Longitudinal slots 18 are formed in the plates 14 adjacent thecurvilinear bases thereof and extending in a direction away 8o from thebases, these slots being disposed adjacent the sides of the platesin thedirection of the major end of the head 12.

The roller 13, as illustrated in Fig. (i, is preferably formed integral,and comprises 8 5 trunnions 19, which engage the slots 18 to hold theroller in proper relation to the plates, and the periphery of thisroller is curved transversely to secure a maximum contactn ing surfacewith the inner face of the pipe or 9o tube. It will thus be seen that ifthe roller 13 be held against the inclined face of the head and thecarrier is then swung in the di reetion of the major end of thehead theroller will be forced outwardly, so that its trun-A nions will traveliirst away from and then toward the outer ends of the slots.

Upon the threaded portion of the stem ll is engaged a follower 20,comprising a cen tral hub, as shown, and from which radiate fingers 21,the extremities of which are bent in the same direction to lie parallelwith the axis 4of the stem and equidistant therefrom. After theapplication of this follower the end of the stem is bent at right anglesto form a crank or handle.

In applying thisv clamp to a pipe or tube the clamp is inserted in theend of the tube with the roller 13 uppermost, at which time the carrierwill fall to the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings. This movementof the carrier will cause the rollerto travel down the inclined face ofthe head in the direction of the narrowed end of the latter, the slots1S permitting the movementof the trunnions 19 at the time. The tool isthen reversed to the position shown in Fig. 2 and is raised to bring itsiiat face against the upper portion of the inner face of the tube orpipe. When the tool is thus reversed, the carrier I4 swings downwardlyand forwardly in the direction of the thickened end of the head. In theposition shown in Fig. I the trunnions of the roller lie at the outerends of the slots I8, but they are free to slide bodily in the slots,and hence after the tool is reversed the head may be lifted against theuppermost point of the inner surface of the pipe and the roller willswing farther forward with the carrier and will bear against theinclined face of the head and against the lowermost point of the innerface of the pipe. The follower 2O is then screwed up upon the stem toengage its fingers over the end of the tube and draw the stem outwardlyto wedge the head between the roller and the pipe or tube, and thusfirmly grip the latter. It will of course be understood that instead ofscrewing up the follower to draw the stem outwardly the stem may bedrawn outwardly and the follower then screwed up to engage the pipe ortube. Vhen the follower is in the position shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, it acts to maintain the clamp in engagement with the pipe ortube.

In Fig. 4t of the drawings the clamp is shown engaged with the tubularstem 25 of the piston 26 in a brake -cylinder 27. As is well known, thispiston 26 is held normally in one position by a helical spring 28, whichencircles the stem 25 and bears at its opposite ends against the piston2G and the cylinderhead 29, respectively. In operating the clamp it isengaged with the stem 25 in the manner above described, with the ends ofthe fingers 2l resting against the cylinder-head 29. The cylinder-headmay then be disengaged from the cylinder, and the follower 2O willprevent the spring from throwing the cylinder-head off from the stem andagainst the operator. It will thus be seen that with the presentstructure a firm grip may be secured upon the inner face of thepiston-stem or upon any other tube, and that this engagement may bemaintained and also that the clamp may be disengaged with ease, thestructure being such as not to injure the tube or pipe in any way.

It will of course be understood that in practice various modificationsof the present structure may be made to satisfy different speciiicconditions and that any suitable materials and proportions may be usedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed isl. An inside pipe-clamp comprising a wedge memberhaving a wedge-face and a clampingface, and a roller in contact with thewedgeface and adapted for movement thereover to force the rolleroutwardly with its periphery in engagement with the article to beclamped and to engage the clamping-face of the wedge member.

2. An inside pipe-clamp comprising a wedge member having a wedge-faceand a grippingface, and a roller in contact with the wedgeface andadapted for movement thereover, said roller having its outer portionuncovered for engagement with an article to be clamped.

3. An inside pipe-clamp comprising a wedge member having a wedge-faceand a clampingface, a carrier pivoted to the wedge member, and aclamping-roller rotatably and slidably mounted in the carrier and incontact with the wedge-face, and with its outer face disposed forengagement with an article to be clamped. l

4. An inside pipe-clamp comprising a wedge member having a wedge-faceand a clam pingface, a carrier pivoted to the wedge member and havingslots therein, and a rollerhaving trunnions engaged with the slots andadapted for movement therein to permit the roller to travel over thewedge-face of the wedge member and move toward and away from theclamping-face of the wedge member to release and engage a body to beclamped.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a threaded stem, awedge-shaped head upon the stem, a follower engaged with thc thread ofthe stem, plates pivotally connected with the head, said plates havingoppositely disposed slots, and a roller having trunnions engaged withthe slots, the inner portion of the roller being adapted to lie againstthe head and the outer portion of the roller against a body to beclamped.

G. A device of the class described comprising a threaded stem, afollower engaged with the stem, a wedge shaped head upon the stem,plates pivoted to the head and having rigid connections mutually, slotsin the plates, and a roller having trunnions rotatably and slidablyengaged with the slots, said roller being adapted to lie and travelagainst the head and to engage a body to be clamped.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence ot' two witnesses.

HENRY I. CI-IUBB.

XVitnesses:

IsIDoRE I. SPiRo, FRED G. STAscHnN.

IIO

